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Summer Corn Salad

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Summer corn salad is the full of fresh flavors and veggies. Corn, cucumbers and tomatoes come together to make the perfect summer side dish.

Bowlful of corn salad with cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and fresh corn.

Make fresh summer produce sing in this super simple easy corn salad recipe. This salad is a great way to enjoy the abundance of fresh ingredients like cucumbers, corn and tomatoes that are plentiful gardens and farmers markets right now.

The fact that it is so easy to assemble and can be made ahead of time just makes it even better!

I feel like usually when I say something like “this tastes like summer,” I am referring to a dessert like orange creamsicle ice cream or the no bake cheesecake that inspired it.

Despite appearances to the contrary, however, we really do eat vegetables on the regular. I suppose you know that already though, after all of my excitement over our weekly CSA boxes.

Our own garden is proving to be quite prolific as well, so we are getting creative and definitely eating our daily vegetables.

We planted a few little cucumber plants this year and I thought for sure we got them in too late and they wouldn’t do anything. Boy was I wrong! My husband gave them some metal netting to climb and they formed a solid wall of cucumber plants.

So we have been eating our weight in sour cream and dill cucumbers, gone in a second pickles and the like. We also have been giving them to anyone who will take some.

Luckily our CSA folks have been great and let us trade the cucumbers in the box for other items, like more sweet corn! So I thought it would be fun to make a salad with that extra corn, some of the mountain of cucumbers and a few of the also prolific (and super tall) cherry tomatoes I told you about.

You’ll have to check out the picture I shared along with the Parmesan roasted zucchini and tomato recipe.

We were all so thrilled with how it turned out. My husband was surprised how much he liked the cucumbers and corn together.

I really liked the little added freshness from the basil. The spaces between our teeth were happy that I finally removed some of the corn from the cob. 😉

Serving bowl filled with salad made with fresh sweet corn, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and basil.

We enjoyed this as an easy side dish a few days in a row with no complaint. I also think you could make a great lunch out of it by stirring in some chickpeas, feta or some chunks of grilled chicken. Oooh, or all three would make an amazing light main course!

I hope you have been enjoying all of the garden and farmer’s market inspired recipes this week. Happy harvesting!

Want to make this fresh corn salad recipe hearty enough to be a lunch entrée? Here are some great additions:

  • Mozzarella pearls
  • Crumbles feta cheese or cotija cheese
  • Chickpeas 
  • Grilled chicken 
  • Diced avocado 

Tips and Tricks

This salad is great leftover. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days. The basil will wilt and get darker as time goes on, but it will still taste delicious. 

If you don’t have fresh corn on the cob, frozen can be subbed. Just cook it a bit and then toss it with the other ingredients. 

If you like lime juice, chili powder and queso fresco in your salad, try making Mexican street corn salad with pearled barley. It is a creamier corn salad that is a fun side dish for tequila lime chicken.

Or make cowboy caviar with black beans, avocado and corn. It is great as a salad or as a fun dip for chips.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Bowlful of corn salad with cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and fresh corn.

Summer Corn Salad

Carlee
This fresh salad is one of our favorite summer salad recipes. It is loaded with fresh sweet corn, crisp cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes. We love it with basil, but you can experiment with other fresh herbs to change the flavor. The simple corn salad makes a perfect side dish for a hot day.
4.87 from 23 ratings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salads
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 82 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 6 ears of corn on the cob or about 5 cups of corn
  • 4 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup fresh basil

Instructions
 

  • Cook corn on the cob in a large pot of water for 3-5 minutes and allow to cool for a bit. Use a sharp knife to cut corn kernels off the corn cobs.
    6 ears of corn on the cob
  • Dice onion, halve cherry tomatoes and slice cucumber.
    4 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 small onion, 1 small cucumber
  • In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Toss in the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
    3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
  • Before serving, chiffonade the basil and toss into salad.
    ¼ cup fresh basil
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 191mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
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Recipe Rating




Carlee

Friday 19th of July 2019

Thank you (it really is!)

Erlene

Monday 15th of July 2019

Oh my goodness, the bright colors in this corn salad look so appetizing. How can anyone resist?!

Carlee

Friday 19th of July 2019

Don't even try, just give in!

Carlee

Saturday 25th of August 2018

Thank you so much!

Anonymous

Wednesday 22nd of August 2018

That salad is gorgeous, Carlee! I'm so jealous of all of your fresh produce. Everything looks so tasty! Thanks so much for sharing this at the Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party!

Carlee

Saturday 25th of August 2018

We have really been enjoying the bounty this summer and since it's all local it's picked ripe and ready and oh so good!

Amy

Tuesday 14th of August 2018

This summer corn salad looks sooo good. I love veggies.

Carlee

Saturday 25th of August 2018

Me too, thank you!